Oil Exports Face Washington Bottleneck

Sometimes, a few choice words from an energy official can drown out the world.

U.S. benchmark oil prices got a jolt upward Tuesday morning after Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, speaking at a conference, said the issue of allowing exports of crude was "under consideration." This, it seems, matters more than another set of weak economic data from China or news that Libyan oil output could double after protests there ended.